Hydraulic turbine



Nov. 24, 1925.

L. F. HARzA HYDRAULIC TURBINE Filed DSG. 18, 1922 2 SheetSSheet l.

ing linings 17 and is held in true central posit-ion by bolts 18 passing through the penstock walls and held in tension by a nut at the outer end. The position of the bearings may be adjusted by increasing and decreasing the tension on the oppositely disposed bolts, respectively. Bolts 18 may be used alone in lieu of the cast spider, but they are here shown also serving as pivot bolts for sector-shaped gates 19, the details of which are later described.

The gates 19 are shown in open position to admit water to the turbine runner. When closed they overlap and touch each other along their edges, thus forming a. closed wall against the flow of water. A thrust is thus transferred to hub 16 by the pressure against the gates 19. This thrust can be resisted by bearing surfaces 2O against the runner hub 5, from which it will be ransferred through the shaft to hub 12, and thence through thrust bearing surfaces ll to the fixed hub 2, but it is preferably transferred directly from fixed hub 16 to fixed hub 2 by means of a pipe 21 surrounding the shaft and attached to the hubs 16 and 2 by any appropriate means as tap kbolts, stud bolts, pipe threads or the like.

When the gates 19 are partially open, the

deflection of the flowing water causes a tendency to twist 'the hub 16, which stress is also readily transferred to fixed hub 2 through pipe 21.

F ig. 2 shows a fragmentary view of an installation, similar to that of F ig. 1, except that the runner is entirely within the water passage and power is transmitted by the shaft in the usual manner instead of directly from the rim of the runner as disclosed in Fig. 1. The construction of the control gates and their operation is, however, similar to that previously described, the pipe 21 in this casebeing attached to any convenient lined structure.

The method of operating the. control gates i9 illustrate-d in Figs. 5 and '7 in which. 2Q is shift ring ei'rcireling the penstock similar .in all respects to the shift `ring of any hydraulic turbine of Aother design and similarly controlled by any standard governor (not shown). A link 23 spit in two parts and boltedf together has a socket at each end, engaging at one end a ball 24 attached to the shift ring and at the other end, a ball 25 on the gate crank 26.

A circumferential movement of the shift ring 22 thus rotates, through an arc, the gate crank 26, which in turn is keyed or otherwise rigidly attached to the sleeve 2T, which is either a part of, or rigidly attached to, the regulating gate 19, and its movement therefore accomplishes the desired rotative adjusting movement of the regulating gate. The sleeve 27 is packed ai inist leakage along its outer surface by gland 28 gland 29.

and along its inner surface by It will be understood that each of the gates 19 is similarly connected to the shift rinO 22 so that they are all actuated simultaneously by movement of the ring.

A preferred method of reducing, trapping, and draining away the leakage through the clearance spaces between the rotating rim of the turbine 6 and the adjacent fixed flanges of the penstock 7' and draft tube 8 is illustrated in Fig. 5. From an inspection of this figure, it will be observed that 30 indicates outwardly convex collector rings or flanges attached at 36 to and rotating with the runner ring 6 and made water-tight by suitable gasket or water-proof compound, and positioned opposite the leakage clearances.'

The rings 30 are nearly enclosed respectively by a similar internally grooved collector ring 31 attached to the penstockand a collector ring 32 attached to the draft tube, both rings 3l and 32 therefore being stationarily mounted to overlie the rotating rings 30 as shown.

When the unit is at rest, there will generally be a suction at all clearances since the gates 19 will be closed. lf, however, tailwater is sufficiently high, an internal pressure may exist in the lower portion, or perhaps, in the entire turbine, in which case the leakage escaping into ring 30 around the lower half of the circumference will flow at once to the bottom at point 33. That water which escapes in the upper half of the circumference will flow around the outer surface of penstock or draft tube until it falls partially into inner groove 30 and partially into outer grooves 31 and 32. The former might accumulate at 33 in the bottom of the inner groove until it overflows into the outer groove and escapes through drain pipes 34, but preferably an uninterrupted suction would be applied to passages 35 which would drain the leakage from the inner ring and prevent overflow. Drain pipes lead to a suitable sump maintained automatically at a low level regardless of height of the tailwater.

Then the unit is revolving, a pressure will exist in the penstock clearances and a suction in the draft tube clearances at the up and down stream sides respectively of the runner. The suction is objectionable, however, as it would admit air to the draft tube and destroy the full value of the draft head. To avoid this condition, water is piped to one or more points at or near the top of the draft tube flange and conveyed through passage 38 into an annular groove 39 under sufficient pressure to flow through the clearance into the draft tube. In some instances it may be preferable to divide this groove 39 by partitions disposed along radial lines, into several independent por- Cil tions of the total circumference and to supply `water to each by ine'ans of individual pipes, in onlie-r to obtain sul'licie'nt pressure at top of gr'oore to prevent suction of air into draft tube Without unnecessarily high pressure at the bottoni of groove 39.

Such Water as escapes into the rotating rings -30 is held by centrifugal force in the periphery of these rings throughout their circumferences until intere "pied by Ythe tips Ll0 of suction pipes 35, which are turned so that their 'open en'ds are directed against the approaehii'ig water, thus assisting the efforts of the applied suction. is many pipes 35 necessary may be provided.

Drainage pipes preferably drain to a` closed sump from which the water is automatically pumped and frein which the air is exhausted by a fan during operation, thus causing an inflow of air through the close clearance between grooved rings 30 ant rines 3l and 32 and thereby preventing the escape of any possible spray produced by the leakage.

The leakage through the clearances at opposite s'hles of the runner ring reduced lo a mininunn by making these clearances as small as practicable and may be further reduced by providingan ular grooves in Athe fixed and rotating "elements, which, as will be understood, ol'ier an obstruction to the flow ot `Water through these clearances.

ln Fig. 3 l have shown a modified :torni ol my invention, in which the cast-spider l2 carrying the thrust bearing 43, is positioned downstream from the turbine runner or in the 'draft tube instead of upstream in the penst-ock.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a fragmentary 'View loi" a turbine in which the central guide.

bearing placed just upstream lroni the turbine, but rigidly si'ippored by a cast spider -fl-l. he othe bearing in 'this con struction would be a conibiued guide and l nfusl bearing located either uijislr iuioi the rui'iu-e'r as in liig. l, vor dcwuscrcan1 as in. litigi. il. in `this structure, radial bolts siiuilar to the vbolts 1S yn'evioiu-sl'y des l, i y 'be `employed in lieu ol the cast spider, since they oi'ier less resistance to the flowing wa ter than the large cast spider. It the control gates are not inountedum the rad bolts, yother means oi controlling the water flow will be required.

Fig. l illustrates another tori or nin' .'ention in which the thrust bea` ,Lauria-e 1G is made-ot lignuni vitre, abb'i, or other suitable beziiri-ng -niaterizrl mounted in vthe liange ot the. draft tube, and against which the rim oit the revolving turbine bears.

rlfhis construction is shown in detail in Fig. 5, in Which all .parts aresin'iilar tothose el 5, except 'the bearing surface i The guide bearings of the runner shonf'n in Figs. 3 and l are Without apparent means lfor overccn'iing the torque on the bearing caused by the deilecting water when the gates are partly open and that caused by bearing friction. This torque can be of :rtiv'ely resisted by placing the pivot bolts position not truly radial, i. e., tanflge a circle of diameter somewhat l; s than 'the diameter ot bearing hub, and by arriuigini;A tl in alternately to resist torque in 'op'iosie directions, the sector gates being shaped eorresponlingly at Jdie ends to clear the hub and rim in rotating through the necessary angle or' nearly 90 'c'legrees All bearings illustrated could be ot li vitae other durable Wood, or ol ll'abbitt cr other suitable bearino nniterial. se, b ll bearings or roller hearings olif any stan-dard design might be used and packen againsi admission of Water or supplied with oil or grease under suhieient pressure to @schule the Water.

ln Fig. l oil or grease would be supplird to any type of bearings 14E and 15 which 1 y ight be adopted, through fa passage lT provided in the east spider arm 3, from which it wiuid also ind Aits Way along `the sh il ln Jrhs accoiupanying ilrawings, fior simplicity, l hare sl'iown the riin ol the ubiiu; rotor edi-upped with a belt pulley, but .l Ac template equally `any other power transmit ting 'means as geur, rope sheare, or chain sprocket. l also contemplate nio'unti poles oi an electrical generator dire/t y 1pon this rim and building Vthe stat r of th(` gQV-eraftor te enclose the saine as disclosed in my pending application, Vto "which reference has already been made.

lt should be manifest from the foregoing that my inif'cntien `capable el' embellie e; in Various Construetions fdilibring inateria'llj.` in their `stri-1ctura'l, details; cmiseduen'+1 ihn scope oil' niy invention "s not lo he i. rrunn scribed by the structures illusirat d and 'dc-v scribed, but comprehends also h as arly yFriendly defined in the ll'olllowing claims.

l claim: 4

il. fr hydraulic turbine Icoi'nprising ain axial lieu' runner llia'viiig Ia rim er;teriorl",7 accessible and iorining a vportion `ot 'the water conduit, a shaft for said runner, 'and 'bearings for said shalt arranged Within said conduit and attached vto the Walls thereof.

2. In a hydraulic turbine, the eonrbiination with an axial 'flou' runner provided 'with a rin'i extending to the exterior o1E the turbine yflor-ruine' a portion ot' the Water conduit, a shaft y'extending longitudinally Abeyond said rini and 'upon which ksaid lrunner is mounted, and 'bearings for said sha-ft far- 'ran'ged Within said conduit and attached to the walls thereot'.

E. 1liydraullic turbine, 'comprising Van axial 'flou' runner provided with an eX- teriorly projecting riin forming a portion of the water conduit, a shaft upon which said runner is mounted, a bearing Ylfoi' said shaft arranged within said conduit, and means ior adjustably suliporting said bearino'.

4. In a hydraulic turbine, the combination ot a water conduit, an afiial dow runner disposed in said conduit and provided with a rim forming a portion of said con duit, a central shaft disposed entirely with4 in said conduit upon which said runner is mounted, a bearing within the conduit in which said shatt journaled, radially disposed rods supporting said bearing, said rods being adjustable on the exterior oi said conduit to adjust the position of said bearing, control gates pivotally mounted on said rods, and means outside said conduit for regulating the position ot said gates.

5. In a hydraulic turbine, the coinbination of a water conduit, an axial `flow runner mounted in said conduit and having a riin forming part o said conduit, a sha-.tt up oii which said runner is carried, a spider in said conduit providing a bearing tor one end oi said shaft, a bearing.;l Afor the other end of the sli-ait, radially disposed rods connected with said last mentioned iearing and projecting through the walls oi? said conduit, means tor regulating the tension olf said rods to adjust the position ot said bearing, radially disposed control gates carried by said rods, and means outside the conduit for simultaneously adjusting the position of all of said gates,

6. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combina tion of an axial flow runner, a shaft, a bearing lor said shaft, radially disposed rods adjustably supporting said bearing in position, control gates pivoted on said rods and provided with sleeves extending through the walls of the water conduit, and means outside said conduit connected with said sleeves whereby all o lf said gates may be simultaneously adjusted.

7. In a hydraulic turbine, the combination ot a water conduit,V a series of radially disposed control gates arranged within said conduit and provided with portions extendingl through the walls oi said conduit, means ior preventing leakage around said outwardly extending portions, radially disposed rods upon which said gates are pivotally mounted, a bearing adjustal ly carried by said rods, an arm attached to each oi said outwardly extending portions, a ring surrounding said conduit, a ball and socket connection between said ring and each et said arms whereby movement ot said ring` circuinferentially of the conduit will be transmitted to said gates to simultaneously adjust the position thereof, and a runner rotatably supported by said bearing.

8. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combina tion of a water conduit, an axial iiow runner disposed in said conduit and having a circumferential ring forming' a section oi? said conduit, an annular collector ring attached to said runner and overlying the joint between said runner and said conduit, and means 'tor removing the water collected in said ring.

9. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combina tion oit a water conduit, an axial Aflow runner dise sed iii said conduit and having a portion thereot forming a section ot said.

conduit, a collector ring mounted on said runner and overlying the joint between said runner and said conduit, and a second collector ring mounted on saidv conduit and overlying said iirst mentioned ring.

l0. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combina-- tion of a conduit, an axial flow ruimer mounted in said conduit and having a por-- tion thereof forming a section of said conduit, overlapping` collector rings mounted on said conduit and runner, respectively, in which leakage through tle joint between said ruimer and said conduit collected, and means tor removing the collected water itroin said collector rings.

1l. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combina tion o't a water conduit, a hydraulic runner disposed iii said conduit and having a pcripheral portion iorminle,l a section of the conduit, and means for jneventingY the escape ot water through the joints between said conduit and said runner, said means comprising overlapping convex rings mounted on the runner and on the conduit, respectively, and adapted to collect the leale age through said joints.

i2. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combination oif a penstocl; and a dra'lt tube disposed in spaced relation, a runner interposed between tlie opposed ends o t said peustoclt and draft tube, and means i'for creating a pressure in the clearance between said ruimer and draft tube to prevent leakage ot air through said clearance into said. tube.

lil. In a hydraulic turbine, the combination olf a water conduit, a runner rotutabl)v mounted in said conduit and having a circumferential ring ioiining a section oi: said conduit, and means i'or producing a water pressure in the clearance between a side ot said runner ring and the opposed .tace ot said conduit.

lll. ln a hydraulic turbine, the combina tion of a water conduit, a ruimer interposed in said conduit and adapted to be driven by water passing through said conduit, a clearance between said ruimer and a portion oi" the wall oi said conduit, and means Ylor supplying water under pressure to the clearance between said runner and conduit.

LEROY F. HARZA. 

